Yes, you read it right! Although Microsoft has in its Windows 8 Lifecycle Policy page stated that Mainstream Support for Windows 8 ends January 9, 2018 and Extended Support end January 10, 2023, those Windows 8.1 users who have not yet installed or been unable to install Windows 8.1 Update, will not be able to receive future security and general updates from the coming Patch Tuesday.
Windows 8.1 support ends May 2014 … sort of !
Windows 8.1 Update package KB2919355 introduces several new features. But Windows 8.1 Update has not been installing for many users. Microsoft did appear to have made some changes to the KB package, which included some changes to the Windows Update client. It did make installation of the Windows 8.1 Update go though smoothly for many users – though initially, quite a few users did face issues while installing this update. But there are some who are still facing issues.
Microsoft has urged all to install this update by May 13th.
Starting patch Tuesday in May 2014 and beyond, if this Windows 8.1 Update is not installed on your computer, all future Windows Updates, including the Security patches will be considered as being not applicable to your system and NOT be offered to your computer.
This means that Microsoft will not offer Windows Updates to your Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 system, if the Windows 8.1 Update is not installed on it – effectively killing support for it, indirectly.
Of course this does not mean that Microsoft is actually ending support for Windows 8.1, but by not offering patches and update to it, the Redmond giant will in a way stop “supporting” its latest iteration of the Windows operating system.
Though it now appears that this issue has been resolved for most users, if you are one who has still not updated their computer to Windows 8.1 Update by installing KB2919355, we urge you to install it right away. If you facing issues, you might want to follow some troubleshooting steps. If this does not help, Microsoft Answers would be the best place to get help.
It is imperative that your computer has the Windows 8.1 Update installed, and I do not have to underline the urgency of it. If you do not have it installed, your Windows 8 too, like Windows XP, would be dead in the water, as it would be able to receive any Windows Updates – critical or non-critical.
Will we end up seeing unpatched Windows 8.1 computers too along with Windows XP systems, soon? Hopefully, not! Microsoft will surely do something, as the alternatives and its repercussion, will be unthinkable.
source: TWC
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